Western Bulldogs vs Sydney Swans
Sunday 24 August 2014, 3:20pm
Venue: Etihad Stadium

Head-to-head:

Round 13, 2014: Western Bulldogs 15. 9. (99) defeated by Sydney Swans 21. 8. (134), Etihad Stadium
Round 21, 2012: Western Bulldogs 13. 7 (85) defeated by Sydney Swans 26. 11 (167), Etihad Stadium
Round 10, 2012: Sydney Swans 20.12 (132) defeated Western Bulldogs 5. 10 (40), SCG
Round 18, 2011: Sydney Swans 16. 18 (114) defeated Western Bulldogs 11. 9 (75), SCG
Round 7, 2011: Western Bulldogs 10. 5 (65) defeated by Sydney Swans 10. 13 (73), StarTrack Oval 

Last time they met:

  • Ryan Griffen led from the front with 41 disposals, six tackles, six inside 50s and ten clearances. For Sydney it was Kieran Jack that stood out finding 30 touches, seven inside 50s, 13 tackles, 11 clearances and two goals
  • Up forward Kurt Tippett was prominent for the Swans, finishing with six goals
  • Sydney Coach John Longmire credited three red time goals late in the third quarter for killing off the Bulldogs late charge and giving them enough breathing space to secure the 35 point win
  • Josh Kennedy was contained to 18 touches and six clearances by Mitch Wallis, who found 29 disposals and 13 tackles of his own

Recent form:

Western Bulldogs
Despite three tight quarters of football, an eight goal loss at the hands of North Melbourne was not a true reflection of the game on Sunday – the Bulldogs will need to sustain their efforts for longer if they are to keep up with Premiership favourites Sydney. The combination of Ryan Griffen, Adam Cooney, Tom Liberatore and Jack Macrae has the potential to match it with the Swans’ deep midfield, and will be an area of the game to watch.

Sydney Swans
Since round five Sydney have lost to only Hawthorn, as they continue to shape as one of the main premiership contenders in 2014. Sitting atop of the ladder, the Swans boast the highest percentage in the league. The sheer depth in their midfield rotations has held them in good stead for a number of years but it’s their forward line that presents as most dangerous.

Key matchups and gamebreakers:

  • The Bulldogs rising stars have shown glimpses of their potential in the back half of the season and have been influential in a number of the Club’s wins. With three nominations since round 13 in Marcus Bontempelli, Nathan Hrovat and Jake Stringer, the Bulldogs can take confidence in the development of their younger talent.
  • The Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett combination were formidable in their win against St Kilda last week, contributing 12 of the team’s 19 goals. The dynamic pair’s influence will need to be checked by Dale Morris and Jordan Roughead on Sunday if the Bulldogs are to be competitive
  • Sydney’s lineup has a number of damaging options that could attract the close attention of Liam Picken in round 22. Kieran Jack and Jarrad McVeigh would be most likely but the Bulldogs tagger could also spend his time locking down one of the Swans many attacking options up forward.